JAKARTA: Indonesian activists say they are acting in the interests of humanity by joining the chorus of global solidarity with the Iranian women at the helm of the largest anti-government protests in Iran since 2009.
Protests and public anger in Iran have swollen since mid-September, spreading to as many as 80 cities, following the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old who was arrested by Iran’s morality police on accusations of failing to properly cover her hair.
At the forefront of the weeks-long uprising are Iranian women, who have cast off their legally required head scarves and cut their hair in acts of defiance, sparking a global show of solidarity in support of the demonstrations.
Several Indonesian activists organized a small protest in front of the Iranian embassy in Jakarta earlier this month, where they symbolically laid flowers at the gate and held placards that read “Solidarity for Mahsa Amini.”
“We want to call attention (to the fact) that what happened in Iran is an international issue, an issue for every nation, and in the name of humanity there must be solidarity,” Ririn Sefsani, a women’s rights activist based in Jakarta and one of the solidarity protest organizers, told Arab News.
“The world must step in, there must be global action to stop the violence in Iran,” she added.
“Even though our first action only involved a few people, we felt like we’re already doing something and I hope we’ll inspire other people to do the same.”
Sefsani said she is organizing another protest in solidarity with Iranian women, which will take place later this month. Iranian authorities have escalated their crackdown on demonstrations, reportedly killing dozens of people and arresting prominent activists and journalists. Norway-based Iran Human Rights estimates that at least 185 people have died, including 19 children.
Amnesty International said Iranian security forces are responsible for deaths and injuries across Iran, as troops have fired “live ammunition, metal pellets and tear gas at protesters.”
Some activists said there are some similarities with what is happening in Indonesia, where women and girls in many parts of the country have been subject to dress codes deemed “Islamic” for years. The world’s largest Muslim-majority nation is not an Islamic state and officially recognizes six religions.
However, Human Rights Watch said in a 2022 report that most of Indonesia’s provinces impose “discriminatory and abusive dress codes on women and girls.”
“It’s also important for us to kind of see how this is actually not very much far from our reality in Indonesia,” Anindya Restuviani, program director at Jakarta Feminist, told Arab News. “But even with no similarity with what’s going on in Indonesia, I think it’s important for us to still show solidarity because of intersectionality.”
Restuviani said the international community must “create some kind of accountability” for the perpetrators of violence in Iran. Though multilateral organizations such as the UN are supposed to do something about it, “they choose not to,” she added.
Damaira Pakpahan, a feminist who also co-organized the Jakarta protest, said acts of solidarity “must be done” not only for women in Iran, but for women everywhere.
“Indonesian women are part of the global women community, so there must be global solidarity on issues that oppress women, discriminate against women, and this is an important issue when it comes to women’s bodily autonomy,” Pakpahan said.
“This is part of an international movement in solidarity that has to be done. It’s a call for humanity; we have to do something, we can’t stay quiet.”